The new report by the Pew Research Center, a non-partisan research institution, presented important data related to the perception of the Latino community, whether born in the United States or not, on living conditions compared to their country of origin.

The survey, conducted in March 2021 and published on January 20 this year, brings results from interviews with 3,375 Latino adults across the country. What was found is that most of the responses confirmed that life in the United States is better than their native land in Latin America.

In the research, respondents were asked to make a comparison between their ancestral country and the United States, establishing the relationship between “better”, “worse” or “about the same” in the questions on the following topics: 1. Opportunity to prosper; 2. Better for raising kids; 3. Access to health care; 4. Support to the poor, and 5. Strength of family ties. Responses were categorized by place of birth and generations (up to the 3rd generation or higher), including grandchildren of immigrants and downward who live in the country, legally or not. 

A research overview shows that “for many Latinos, the United States offers a chance at a better life than the place their Latino ancestors came from in several ways. A strong majority say the U.S. provides more opportunities to get ahead than their ancestors’ place of origin. Majorities also say the U.S. has better conditions for raising kids, access to health care and treatment of the poor […]. Hispanics hold these positive views of the U.S. whether they were born in Puerto Rico, in another country, or in the 50 states or the District of Columbia”.

However, it is not on every issue that most Latinos agree that the United States is better. Almost half of Latino adults (48%) perceive a strength of family ties is better in their country of origin or their ancestors' origin. In contrast, 27% responded that the strength of the family bond is about the same in both locations, and 22% said that the strength of family ties is better in the United States.

In the “opportunity to get ahead” item, 79% of US-born Latinos responded that life expectancy is better in the US, relative to where their ancestors came from. This rate increases to 87% in the responses of Latino immigrants. Most of the responses from third-generation Latinos or higher confirm the same opinion about the United States, albeit in a slightly lower percentage: 72%.

Asked about better conditions for raising kids, 76% of Latino adults consider the US to be the best place. For 14% of respondents, the conditions are almost about the same in both places, and 9% prefer the country of origin in this regard. According to the report, these perceptions are shared, regardless of birthplace or generation of immigrants.

The majority (69%) of Latino adults interviewed, regardless of place of birth, believe that the United States has better access to health care, in contrast to 12%, who rated the country of origin is better in that access. For 17% of people, there is no difference between the two countries. A greater share of second-generation Latinos than third-generation Latinos and above say access to health care is better in the US (70% vs. 64%).

“About a quarter (26%) of more recent arrivals, 10 years or less, say health care is better in their origin place. This view is shared by only 9% of those who arrived over 20 years ago and 16% of those who arrived between 11 and 20 years ago”, according to the report.

It is interesting to note that the data presented refer precisely to the period in which the Covid-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted the lives of Latinos in the United States.

When the question was related to how the poor are treated, 56% of Latino adults said the US is better in this regard. For 30% of respondents, the situation is about the same in both locations, and 12% agreed that how the poor are treated is better in their country of origin. According to the survey, there is a greater tendency (61% vs. 50%) for foreign-born Latinos to respond that how the poor are treated is better in the US than in their ancestral country. 

The survey was also concerned with asking Latino adults their perceptions about how immigrants are treated and the reality about discrimination based on race or skin color. The complete report in PDF can be accessed here.

Despite mixed perceptions of life in the US, the majority of Latinos who were born overseas (84%) said they would make the choice again to immigrate legally to the US The same answer was confirmed by 78% of Latino adults who are not US citizens and who do not have a green card.